DOMESTIC NEWS
1. Ministry of Finance abolishes 25 legal normative documents in the tax sector
The Ministry of Finance issued Circular No. 110/2026/TT-BTC, officially abolishing all 22 Circulars and 03 Decisions issued by the Minister of Finance in the tax sector. This move aims to review and streamline the legal document system, ensuring consistency with the Law on Tax Administration No. 108/2025/QH15 and the newly issued amended and supplemented Tax Laws. The Circular takes effect from September 12, 2026.
Accordingly, the Circular abolishes documents providing guidance on tax incentives that are no longer appropriate, including tax incentives for software enterprises; policies to support raw material areas and agro-forestry-fishery processing; along with old regulations on agricultural land use tax and resource tax.
Along with that, it removes documents that were previously applied for short-term tax exemption, reduction, and extension policies in earlier periods, old tax debt cancellation for individual households, regulations on electronic air tickets, and procedural handling regulations under the "one-stop shop" mechanism that have been replaced.
The Circular also abolishes documents on enforcement of tax administrative decisions, issuance of enterprise identification numbers, and alcohol stamps in order to update them in accordance with current management standards.
2. Vietnam bans the import of goods produced by forced labor
The Government issued Decree No. 292/2026/ND-CP dated July 22, 2026, detailing a number of articles and measures to organize and guide the implementation of the Law on Foreign Trade Management.
Accordingly, the Decree bans the import of products and goods that are wholly or partly extracted, produced, or manufactured by forced labor from enterprises, countries, or territories in accordance with relevant international treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a member.
This Decree takes effect from September 5, 2026.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. India: 25 people trapped in hospital elevator
About 25 patients and relatives were trapped for more than 45 minutes when an elevator at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College Hospital stopped between the fifth and sixth floors. The rescue was delayed by about 25 minutes because staff could not immediately find the key to open the elevator door; all those inside were brought out safely.
According to sources, 12 of the hospital's total 16 elevators are not operational. Hospital leadership said they will investigate the cause of the incident.
2. UK: Draft regulation on inspection of elevators with evacuation function
Draft BS 8486-10 specifies methods for inspection and testing of new elevators before being put into use with respect to evacuation features in accordance with BS EN 81-76. The comment period ended on July 6, and BSI began processing comments from August 28; publication is expected on October 23, 2026.
3. European Committee for Standardization seeks comments on draft safety requirements for lifting platforms
Draft BS EN 1570-1 applies to lifting platforms serving a maximum of two fixed landing points, typically with a vertical speed not exceeding 0.15 m/s. The document covers equipment for lifting goods, operators, or authorized persons, but excludes lifting platforms for persons with impaired mobility under EN 81-41 as well as a number of specialized equipment groups.
4. ISO is revising the standard on elevator accessibility
ISO/CD 8100-7 specifies minimum requirements for users, including persons with disabilities, to be able to access and use elevators safely and independently. The draft is expected to replace ISO 8100-7:2024 and will not apply retroactively to elevators installed before the date the new version is published.
